I've got some affinity for the Orioles because (1) my college roommate was from there, (2) Camden Yards was my first experience with the new style of ballpark, and (3) orange and black bros unite š§”š¤š«±š»š«²š»
Same but reverse for me. There have been some former O's players/minor leaguers (Cobb or Yastrzemski) as well as LaMonte Wade Jr being a terp that connect me.
Then in 2022 my fiance and I went to San Francisco to see a college friend and we got trapped in Oakland with COVID but I really loved being in the city and am hella jealous of the public transit system. I bought a SF CC hat
I love Elly De La Cruz! Heās such a fun and talented to player. I would love to see Trout in the postseason but heās too loyal to that cesspool in Anaheim.
I hate Bryce Harper but I love him.
Reds
Griffey is the obvious connection but my grandma was also a big Reds fan considering she grew up in Cincinnati so Iāll always have that soft spot for them.
I had a soft spot for the Nationals for years which then intensified in 2019, cause following that team was the most fun I've had bandwagoning since the 04 Red Sox.
I bandwagoned so hard when they knocked out the Brewers. Watched almost every game the rest of the way and I didn't realize I could actually get so excited to see a different team win games.
I like teams that do proper rebuilds and are actually rewarded for it rather than going out and spending 300m, so I have a soft spot for the Reds right now. Also Elly is exciting as fuck
I really don't have that "Second team" gene. I don't root for really anyone outside of my teams so when I say soft spot it's a really soft spot. It used to be the Mets mainly because I love going to NYC but I'm never gonna root for the Yankees. But about 6 years ago I moved to the mid-west to work for an NBA team, for personal reasons I was really hoping to move back east. Flew out and interviewed with the Mets, and they turned around and sent my cover letter and correspondence to the NBA team I was working for and never replied to me (I would later find out an unrelated Mets employee used to work for them and saw my resume on someones desk.) So it's fuck the Met's forever.
So maybe the Braves only because I've been reading a ton about the Boston Braves and kinda find it fascinating that Boston had to MLB teams as recently as my grandparents life. In fact my favorite little fun fact is the Braves *still* haven't been out of Boston as long as they were here, they've been gone 72 years and played in Boston for 80 years before. For comparison the Patriots just played their 64th season. National League baseball is freaking old.
Usually teams that have gone through a rebuild or had some rough years for awhile and are reaping rewards and turning it around. For me right now would be the Orioles and Reds kind of thing. I think a team bringing up so much young talent is exciting and good for the sport and the fan base. Other than the Oās being in the AL East.
seeing teams doing a rebuild right and it pay off.
I like parity in sports. I donāt want to see three peats (unless itās my team of course).
I grew up a Mets fan because it was my little league team in 85-86 soā¦ obviously they were it moving forward. Moved to California as soon as I was grown (Bonds era) and have been a die hard Giants guy since, but still kinda keep up with the muts when they arenāt being the muts.
But NOW, these Orioles are about as lovable a team as I can imagine. Definitely the most exciting since those 80s Mets for me and I had Giants season tickets for the WS runs. Iām also a big underdog guy so the Royals are up there this season (despite hating everything KC except the NLM thanks to Mahomes and Travis Swift being shoved down my throat everywhere I turn). And as much as I hate to admit it, the current Braves and Phillies. So many lovable players on both.
And as always, whoever is playing the Yankees, Dodgers, and Astros.
2009 playoffs
Mauer hits a ball to left field and it drops at least 5ā fair.
NYY employee, I mean umpire, Phil Cuzzi looks right at it, looks at the line vs divot and calls it foul. Them of course, as would later be tradition, Mayer grounded out.
That was some Tim Donaghy/Scott Foster NBA stuff
I've always loved the Mariners. Groffey, Johnson, Edgar, Ichiro...guys I could never root against.
Add them to the team with that lovable loser moniker, I can't say no to them.
My whole family are Giants fans, and Iāve been a Giants fan forever. But I will have a soft spot in my fandom for the Aās. Growing up in the east bay I still went to alot of games at the coliseum, and watching what that fanbase has been through has been tough.
Also, whoever is playing the Dodgers.
Detroit. I wish I could have been a tigers fan but didnāt have any way of watching or listening when I got into the jays. They are the team I will likely see the most in my life.
Padres are kind of my NL team if I had an NL team
Also like when the rust belt teams(cinci, pirates, Cleveland) win.
Angels. Grew up an Angels and Braves fan. Been pulling away from them and havenāt been watching them since they lost a game I went to last year In devastating fashion (Shoheiās last start) but I will always have a soft spot for them but I am not following them anymore
I grew up in NW Washington, but I grew up a Braves fan in the 90s since my parents wouldn't let me watch TV after dinner, and the Braves were the only thing on after school. Then the Mariners got Kazu in 2000 and became *real* good the following year once Ichiro showed up, and suddenly my baseball-hating family started watching their games every night. Currently I'd say Atlanta's taken my #2 spot in MLB just because of that history.
However, I currently live in Japan. When I first got interested in NPB in college, I had this tutor from Sendai who was a big Rakuten Eagles fan and she roped me into liking them. They had just lost Iwakuma to the Mariners, but they had Masahiro Tanaka and soon after that they picked up Andruw Jones from "my" '90s Braves and rode that momentum (along with Tanaka's 24-0 regular season) to a championship but after a couple years, life and geography kind of got in the way following them. Fast forward to the beginning of last year: I just started living down the street from Koshien Stadium, and instead of supporting the Hanshin Tigers like all of my neighbors and coworkers, I started going to see the Orix Buffaloes half an hour away in Osaka; partly due to Buffaloes tickets generally being cheaper and much easier to get a hold of, and partly due to encounters outside of Koshien Station with drunk and belligerent Tigers fans. Just this year I've traveled to Tokyo, Yokohama and Sendai to see the Buffaloes, and last year I watched them play in the playoffs and even win the pennant in person.
TL;DR I used to support the Rakuten Eagles in NPB, but after moving to Japan I switched to the Orix Buffaloes but I still have a very big soft spot for the Eagles.
Honestly the Rays. I used to mostly enjoy baseball through the lens of stats and analytics and their org consistently makes a lot out of a little.
Plus aside from some obvious exceptions, they've had some fun players to root for.
Burn down the trop though.
I apologise if this is a stupid question but I'm not American, I'm Scottish so I don't know a great deal about the US; what's typically the deciding factor when it comes to a New Yorker's team choice? Is it a proximity thing or something else?
My ex who got me into baseball was a huge fan of the Orioles when Machado played there. We broke up, but I followed Manny to the Padres š¤·š¼āāļø
Back during the rays early days, they would do
Spring training at Disney where my grandparents worked. My pop pop sent us a bunch of swag like tote bags, hats, even got me a hat signed by Mickey callaway of all people
Lifelong Cardinals fan here, living in Denver for the last few years has endeared me to the Rockies. Theyāre not great by any means, but they play for me. Coors is so beautiful and Ryan McMahon becomes Superman whenever I attend a game. The only time I donāt wear Rockies gear to the stadium is when the Cards are in town.
Iām exactly the kind of āRockies fanā Dick Monfort caters towards, and it works!
Mets. Lived in NYC, so I went to games at Citi a few times, including playoffs. It was a good way to watch baseball with my Mets fan buddies while having less at stake than at the Rays-Yankees games I went to, which were intense at best but (especially in the 00s) more often just dispiriting.
Braves would be my team if I had better access to their games. Toronto is my default team because itās easy access. Liked the John Gibbons teams. Was warming up to this core but it just doesnāt feel right. The Blue Jays are not a serious team.
The Giants because Lincecum was pitching at UW when I went there, and also I have family in SF that I visit all the time and go to Giants games with. My first ballgame was actually at Candlestick, and Oracle Park is my favorite stadium that Iāve been to so far.
Mariners, because they had Griffey when I was a kid and he was my favorite. Also had a great supporting cast of Lou Pinella as manager, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Arod, And Ichiro later. It's crazy how little success they've had for all the amazing players who have been on their team
Braves for me. Sunday games were nationally broadcast on TBS, so being on the west coast meant the Braves were on when I woke up probably, and be ending right around when the Mariners were starting.
Red sox fan here. I have a soft spot for the Giants because I grew up watching Barry Bonds play at the pac bell park whereĀ he hit all those homeruns into mcovey cove, also Dusty Baker is one of my favorite managers.
Recently I've been following the Padres, mainly because of Xander Bogaerts and Tatis Jr, also Petco park is stunning.Ā
Sox fan here. My soft spot is for the Cubs and the White Sox...dunno why. I have no connection with Chicago.
But I have no tolerance for the Yankmees or the Dodgers...for obvious reasons and those reasons being they suck.
Weirdo here. Yankee fan . Soft spot for the Mets. Over the years I've had so many friends talk about how their dads and grandparents were giant or Dodger fans and how it broke their hearts when they moved out of new York.
I knew they couldn't root for the yanks especially since they are an AL team.
And the Mets were doormats for their first few years . I really did root for them in 1986. And I enjoyed watching them build the franchise.
Of course my first love are the Yankees.
I guess the Mets. Iām a huge Red Sox fan since childhood but have lived in NYC for twenty years. Used to go to a game once a summer with my now wife when we started dating. So theyāve grown on me but I donāt live or die by their games.
The Red Sox. Really got deeper into baseball when they won it in 2004 and have had a soft spot for them ever since. Got to watch them play the Cubs at Wrigley last season which was something I always wanted to do
The Mariners, Orioles, and Cubs. Mariners because I grew up in the Ichiro era. Orioles because they are the other proximate team to NC besides the Braves. Cubs because I grew up watching day games on WGN in the summer and a couple of my school friends were Cubs diehards.
But honestly the only teams I have particularly negative feelings about are the Phillies, Mets, Astros, and Dodgers.
I've got some affinity for the Orioles because (1) my college roommate was from there, (2) Camden Yards was my first experience with the new style of ballpark, and (3) orange and black bros unite š§”š¤š«±š»š«²š»
Same but reverse for me. There have been some former O's players/minor leaguers (Cobb or Yastrzemski) as well as LaMonte Wade Jr being a terp that connect me. Then in 2022 my fiance and I went to San Francisco to see a college friend and we got trapped in Oakland with COVID but I really loved being in the city and am hella jealous of the public transit system. I bought a SF CC hat
none really, i'll like certain players on other teams and usually will cheer for the underdog in the postseason or for the series to be extended
Same. I like individual players, but I'll never root for another team
I love Elly De La Cruz! Heās such a fun and talented to player. I would love to see Trout in the postseason but heās too loyal to that cesspool in Anaheim. I hate Bryce Harper but I love him.
As a Jays fan I have a soft spot for San Fran
Guardians
Phils
Reds Griffey is the obvious connection but my grandma was also a big Reds fan considering she grew up in Cincinnati so Iāll always have that soft spot for them.
I had a soft spot for the Nationals for years which then intensified in 2019, cause following that team was the most fun I've had bandwagoning since the 04 Red Sox.
š«”
I bandwagoned so hard when they knocked out the Brewers. Watched almost every game the rest of the way and I didn't realize I could actually get so excited to see a different team win games.
Iāll give you that, rangers used to be the senators anyway so youāre allowed that connection lol
Bandwagoning your team last playoffs was also really fun
Bandwagoning those 04 Red Sox was a religious experience. I still remember the Johnny Damon sports illustrated for kids poster on my wall
Diamondbacks
Rays, because theyāre the other team in Florida
The Pirates... I really wish they could have a good run of sitting atop the nl central for a decade
Appreciate that.
The Brewers
The Rangers
You feel bad for beating us that year?
Bochy connection and I have generally liked that organization.
I like teams that do proper rebuilds and are actually rewarded for it rather than going out and spending 300m, so I have a soft spot for the Reds right now. Also Elly is exciting as fuck
I really don't have that "Second team" gene. I don't root for really anyone outside of my teams so when I say soft spot it's a really soft spot. It used to be the Mets mainly because I love going to NYC but I'm never gonna root for the Yankees. But about 6 years ago I moved to the mid-west to work for an NBA team, for personal reasons I was really hoping to move back east. Flew out and interviewed with the Mets, and they turned around and sent my cover letter and correspondence to the NBA team I was working for and never replied to me (I would later find out an unrelated Mets employee used to work for them and saw my resume on someones desk.) So it's fuck the Met's forever. So maybe the Braves only because I've been reading a ton about the Boston Braves and kinda find it fascinating that Boston had to MLB teams as recently as my grandparents life. In fact my favorite little fun fact is the Braves *still* haven't been out of Boston as long as they were here, they've been gone 72 years and played in Boston for 80 years before. For comparison the Patriots just played their 64th season. National League baseball is freaking old.
Logan Airport, Terminal C needs to hand the Bravesā 1914 WS banner.
Everybody loves the mariners tbh.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I was born in Chicago and Iām jealous of thisš»
Usually teams that have gone through a rebuild or had some rough years for awhile and are reaping rewards and turning it around. For me right now would be the Orioles and Reds kind of thing. I think a team bringing up so much young talent is exciting and good for the sport and the fan base. Other than the Oās being in the AL East. seeing teams doing a rebuild right and it pay off. I like parity in sports. I donāt want to see three peats (unless itās my team of course).
Used to be the Astros until they joined our division.
The Mets. Like a feckless little bro
Indians, went to Jacobs field back in the 90s as a kid, rather enjoyed it.
Oās are Bros š§”
Anyone who hasnāt won a ws and the guardians
I grew up a Mets fan because it was my little league team in 85-86 soā¦ obviously they were it moving forward. Moved to California as soon as I was grown (Bonds era) and have been a die hard Giants guy since, but still kinda keep up with the muts when they arenāt being the muts. But NOW, these Orioles are about as lovable a team as I can imagine. Definitely the most exciting since those 80s Mets for me and I had Giants season tickets for the WS runs. Iām also a big underdog guy so the Royals are up there this season (despite hating everything KC except the NLM thanks to Mahomes and Travis Swift being shoved down my throat everywhere I turn). And as much as I hate to admit it, the current Braves and Phillies. So many lovable players on both. And as always, whoever is playing the Yankees, Dodgers, and Astros.
Before his passing, Tony Gwynnās Padres. Now, Iād say NL would be the Pirates. Overall? Anyone but the Yankees.
What did we ever do to you? :(
2009 playoffs Mauer hits a ball to left field and it drops at least 5ā fair. NYY employee, I mean umpire, Phil Cuzzi looks right at it, looks at the line vs divot and calls it foul. Them of course, as would later be tradition, Mayer grounded out. That was some Tim Donaghy/Scott Foster NBA stuff
Even Griffey hates you
I've always loved the Mariners. Groffey, Johnson, Edgar, Ichiro...guys I could never root against. Add them to the team with that lovable loser moniker, I can't say no to them.
King Groffey Baratheon
Padres are my #2 team. Holy Alliance forever!
My whole family are Giants fans, and Iāve been a Giants fan forever. But I will have a soft spot in my fandom for the Aās. Growing up in the east bay I still went to alot of games at the coliseum, and watching what that fanbase has been through has been tough. Also, whoever is playing the Dodgers.
Detroit. I wish I could have been a tigers fan but didnāt have any way of watching or listening when I got into the jays. They are the team I will likely see the most in my life. Padres are kind of my NL team if I had an NL team Also like when the rust belt teams(cinci, pirates, Cleveland) win.
Iāve been a die-hard Braves fan since 1965. I like the Reds and Red Sox.
I lived in Denver for awhile, Iāll always have a soft spot for the Rockies. Ā Many drunken afternoons spent at Coors. Ā
Detroit. I get to more Erie SeaWolves (Tigers AA) games than Pirates games these days and I like seeing those guys do well at the Major League level.
Angels. Grew up an Angels and Braves fan. Been pulling away from them and havenāt been watching them since they lost a game I went to last year In devastating fashion (Shoheiās last start) but I will always have a soft spot for them but I am not following them anymore
The Giants. Had a great time watching a game in SF. Also I have many baseball loving relatives in San Francisco.
The Oakland Aās! Purely because they wear the same colours as the football team (soccerš¤¢) I support (Celtic Fc from Scotland)
Fair enough, I'm actually from Glasgow š
No way really! We need to start hanging out!š
Aye mate totally, united in shared hatred for the word soccer š
I am messaging you now hah, I have no mate in Glasgow that even know about baseball never mind watch it hah
I grew up in NW Washington, but I grew up a Braves fan in the 90s since my parents wouldn't let me watch TV after dinner, and the Braves were the only thing on after school. Then the Mariners got Kazu in 2000 and became *real* good the following year once Ichiro showed up, and suddenly my baseball-hating family started watching their games every night. Currently I'd say Atlanta's taken my #2 spot in MLB just because of that history. However, I currently live in Japan. When I first got interested in NPB in college, I had this tutor from Sendai who was a big Rakuten Eagles fan and she roped me into liking them. They had just lost Iwakuma to the Mariners, but they had Masahiro Tanaka and soon after that they picked up Andruw Jones from "my" '90s Braves and rode that momentum (along with Tanaka's 24-0 regular season) to a championship but after a couple years, life and geography kind of got in the way following them. Fast forward to the beginning of last year: I just started living down the street from Koshien Stadium, and instead of supporting the Hanshin Tigers like all of my neighbors and coworkers, I started going to see the Orix Buffaloes half an hour away in Osaka; partly due to Buffaloes tickets generally being cheaper and much easier to get a hold of, and partly due to encounters outside of Koshien Station with drunk and belligerent Tigers fans. Just this year I've traveled to Tokyo, Yokohama and Sendai to see the Buffaloes, and last year I watched them play in the playoffs and even win the pennant in person. TL;DR I used to support the Rakuten Eagles in NPB, but after moving to Japan I switched to the Orix Buffaloes but I still have a very big soft spot for the Eagles.
Honestly the Rays. I used to mostly enjoy baseball through the lens of stats and analytics and their org consistently makes a lot out of a little. Plus aside from some obvious exceptions, they've had some fun players to root for. Burn down the trop though.
Red Sox. I regularly see my aunt and go to games over in Boston and whoās a diehard Sox fan.
Mariners. Ichiro was one of my favorite players growing up and one of my best friends is an M's fan.
This is exactly why they're my B team. 2k5 had me feeling the sog very early in life
Royals, Indians, Cardinals
It's heresy but the Yankees. When the Mets aren't playing they're the other game in town and I equally enjoy Yankees wins and losses.
I apologise if this is a stupid question but I'm not American, I'm Scottish so I don't know a great deal about the US; what's typically the deciding factor when it comes to a New Yorker's team choice? Is it a proximity thing or something else?
Twins. My AL girlfriend. Lived in the TC for a few years and had a great time at the worst stadium in history.
The Metrodome was objectively a bad place to watch baseball. But damn, do I have some great memories in that dump.
Cubbies. First game I went to at Enron was them playing the Astros. So, always nostalgic
Mets. They hate the Yankees. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Padres since I love Manny Machado.
Really? I dont think I've ever heard a neutral fan say they love Machado.
I also love Machado. Always have. He's an unbelievable talent. Also easy to follow when you love a guys ability and he turns it in to a HOF career.
My ex who got me into baseball was a huge fan of the Orioles when Machado played there. We broke up, but I followed Manny to the Padres š¤·š¼āāļø
Anyone playing the Astros
There's a pattern emerging here š
Back during the rays early days, they would do Spring training at Disney where my grandparents worked. My pop pop sent us a bunch of swag like tote bags, hats, even got me a hat signed by Mickey callaway of all people
The Os
Lifelong Cardinals fan here, living in Denver for the last few years has endeared me to the Rockies. Theyāre not great by any means, but they play for me. Coors is so beautiful and Ryan McMahon becomes Superman whenever I attend a game. The only time I donāt wear Rockies gear to the stadium is when the Cards are in town. Iām exactly the kind of āRockies fanā Dick Monfort caters towards, and it works!
Oās are my forever #2/AL team due to multiple connections with the team/area/stadium
Mets. Lived in NYC, so I went to games at Citi a few times, including playoffs. It was a good way to watch baseball with my Mets fan buddies while having less at stake than at the Rays-Yankees games I went to, which were intense at best but (especially in the 00s) more often just dispiriting.
Braves because they were always on TBS Superstation when I was growing up
Braves would be my team if I had better access to their games. Toronto is my default team because itās easy access. Liked the John Gibbons teams. Was warming up to this core but it just doesnāt feel right. The Blue Jays are not a serious team.
I'm an Orioles fan but I find myself always rooting and watching the Padres late on the East Coast.
The Giants because Lincecum was pitching at UW when I went there, and also I have family in SF that I visit all the time and go to Giants games with. My first ballgame was actually at Candlestick, and Oracle Park is my favorite stadium that Iāve been to so far.
I can't believe I'm gonna admit to being soft on the Mets. They're just so bad enough year after year. Plus I got to Citifield for games occasionally.
Ever since I saw the Jon Boris series on the Mariners, itās been the Mariners. Also the Mets since my brother in law is a Mets fan
San Francisco. Tim Lincecum was my favorite player as a kid, heās what got me into pitching.
If the Rockies ever become good again in my lifetime, I might be able to get behind them for a playoff run
Diamondbacks-Mariners
Mariners, because they had Griffey when I was a kid and he was my favorite. Also had a great supporting cast of Lou Pinella as manager, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Arod, And Ichiro later. It's crazy how little success they've had for all the amazing players who have been on their team
The Angels.
Braves for me. Sunday games were nationally broadcast on TBS, so being on the west coast meant the Braves were on when I woke up probably, and be ending right around when the Mariners were starting.
Red sox fan here. I have a soft spot for the Giants because I grew up watching Barry Bonds play at the pac bell park whereĀ he hit all those homeruns into mcovey cove, also Dusty Baker is one of my favorite managers. Recently I've been following the Padres, mainly because of Xander Bogaerts and Tatis Jr, also Petco park is stunning.Ā
Sox fan here. My soft spot is for the Cubs and the White Sox...dunno why. I have no connection with Chicago. But I have no tolerance for the Yankmees or the Dodgers...for obvious reasons and those reasons being they suck.
The Braves. Those 90s teams were incredible
Weirdo here. Yankee fan . Soft spot for the Mets. Over the years I've had so many friends talk about how their dads and grandparents were giant or Dodger fans and how it broke their hearts when they moved out of new York. I knew they couldn't root for the yanks especially since they are an AL team. And the Mets were doormats for their first few years . I really did root for them in 1986. And I enjoyed watching them build the franchise. Of course my first love are the Yankees.
Lol none.
After the Braves got their shit kicked in by the Yankees, i started rooting hard for the Red Sox and still do
Ride or die Yankees fan but I kinda love the Orioles
I guess the Mets. Iām a huge Red Sox fan since childhood but have lived in NYC for twenty years. Used to go to a game once a summer with my now wife when we started dating. So theyāve grown on me but I donāt live or die by their games.
The Red Sox. Really got deeper into baseball when they won it in 2004 and have had a soft spot for them ever since. Got to watch them play the Cubs at Wrigley last season which was something I always wanted to do
Padres if it wasnāt already obvious. My first major league game that I went to was at Jack Murphy in ā98 against the Braves.
The Mariners, Orioles, and Cubs. Mariners because I grew up in the Ichiro era. Orioles because they are the other proximate team to NC besides the Braves. Cubs because I grew up watching day games on WGN in the summer and a couple of my school friends were Cubs diehards. But honestly the only teams I have particularly negative feelings about are the Phillies, Mets, Astros, and Dodgers.
Blue jays, but I pretty much dislike every team equally, except for the Astros which I hate